Vacuum cleaner



Dec. 17, 1935. A. ERIKSSON-JONS 2,024,367

' VACUUM CLEANER Filed Jan. 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1935.

A. ERIKSS'ON-JONS VACUUM CLEANER Filed Jan. 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 17, 1935 signer, by mesne assignments, to Electrolux Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application January 10, 1931, Serial No. 507,913

. In Sweden January 11, 1930 10 Claims.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners and particularly to portable cleaners of the domestic type.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner of this type having a' hose or the like and a dust separator and provided with means whereby the hose may be connected to the suction side of the fan and the dust separator connected to the dust outlet or the hose may be connected to the dust outlet while the suction side of the fan is in communication with the atmosphere. My invention, in the preferred embodiment, contemplates means whereby these changes in connections may be efiected without removing the hose or the dust separator but merely by shifting. the relative position of relatively movable parts of the cleaner. One of the advantages of such an arrangement is that the cleaner may be quickly and easily changed from suction action to blowing action in order to dislodge dirt which cannot be removed simply by suction.

In another embodiment of my invention a vacuum cleaner of the type mounted on wheels or casters and which has a permanently afllxed cleaning nozzle is provided with a hose or the like, either of which may be brought into use merely by shifting the position of a valve-like device and one of which may be used either for suction or blowing by further manipulation of the valve-like device.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and on which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of-a portion of the device shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view, ,partially in cross-section, of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a different relative position of parts;

Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a view, partially in cross-section, of the device shown in Fig. 5 and is taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 7;

Fig. '7 is an axial view of a portion of the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is an end view of a valve member shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 9; r

Fig. 11 is a view, partiallyin cross-section, showing the valve member in one position; and

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 but show- 5 ing the valve member in another position.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 through 4, reference character I! designates a centrifugal fan rotatably mounted within a fan-housing II. Fan III is driven by an electric motor contained within a motor housing l2 which is secured in any desired maner to cylindrical fan enclosing member or housing II. The vacuum cleaner unit is intended to be carried by means of a strap l3 which passes over the shoulder of the user, or by means of a handle 8.

A channelled member I4 is pivotally connected to fan housing II by means of a nut and bolt l5 or the like which passes through the center of the front wall of the fan housing. Member [4 is formed with a radially extending dust outlet l6, the inner end of which contacts the cylindrical surface of the fan housing H. An external dust separator I1 is fixed to and communicates with outlet IS. A channel It is provided in. the front part of member l4 and is formed between member I4 and the adjacent portion of 'the front wall of the fan housing. Housing II and member II are so constructed, preferably by accurately machining their adjacent surfaces, that there will be substantially no leakage of airbetween them. Channel l8 communicates with a hose connection nipple l9 which constitutes a dust-laden air inlet and a clean air outlet and to which is removably connected a flexible hose 20 to the other end of which is connected a cleaning nozzle 2|. The hose may have a stiff end member which jambs into the passage of member I! or may be otherwise attachable. Fan housing II is provided 40 with a clean air inlet opening 22 near the central portion of the front wall thereof and with two outlet openings 23 and 24, both near the periphery of the housing. Outlet opening 23 is formed in the cylindrical portion of the hous- 45 ing and in line radially with the inlet opening 22. Outlet opening 24 is formed in the front wall of housing II and on a radial line which forms an angle with the radial line through inlet 22 and outlet 23. Member I4 is provided 5 with a closure extension 25, which is in sliding engagement with the front wall of housing H and is in substantially air-tight contact therewith, and with a second closure extension 26 which is in sliding engagement with the cylin- 55 drical portion of housing H and likewise is in substantially air-tight contact therewith.

The operation of this embodiment of my invention is as follows:

With the parts in the relative positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 channel|8 of member I4 is in communication with inlet opening 22 while dust outlet I6 is in communication with outlet opening 23. Inasmuch as thehose connection passage Hi, to which hose 20 and nozzle 2| are connected is in communication with channel l8, rotation of fan ill will cause air to be sucked in through nozzle 2|, hose 2n, hose connection passage l9, channel l8 and inlet opening 22 into the fan chamber. The air thus sucked into the fan chamber along with whatever dirt may have been collected by nozzle 2|, is forced out of the housing through outlet opening 23 and dust outlet ||i into dust separator H, which is connected to this channel. Thedust separator removes the dirt from the air and retains it while allowing the air to pass through the material of the bag to the atmosphere. With member H in this position relative to member closure extension 25 covers outlet opening 24 and thus prevents air and dirt from being discharged through this opening. 7

If it is desired to blow air through hose 2!! and implement 2|, parts II and I4 are rotated relative to each other about pivot l5 to the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position inlet .opening 22 is uncovered and communicates with the atmosphere. Channel l8 communicates with outlet opening 24 while closure extension 26 closes outlet opening 23. Thus, on rotation of fan Ill, atmospheric air will be drawn in through inlet 22 and exhausted through outlet 24 into channel It! from whence it will pass through hose connection l9, hose 23 and nozzle 2|. It will be seen that member M has a plurality of outlets including the clean air outlet l9 and the dust outlet l6. Furthermore, passage I3 constitutes a dust-laden air inlet as well as a clean air outlet.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 through 12, my invention is applied to a form of vacuum cleaner-which is provided with wheels or casters for movement over the surface'to be cleaned and which is also provided with a flexible hose 20 for use in cleaning furniture, curtains or the like over which the vacuum cleaner cannot be run conveniently. This embodiment of the invention comprises a fan ||l rotatably mounted in a surrounding member or housing Ila, the fan being driven by an electric motor contained within motor housing H.

The front vertical wall of housing "a is provided with three inlet openings 30, 3|, and 32. Openings 30 is a clean air inlet. Opening 3| is a fixed nozzle connection. Opening 32 is a part of a dust-laden air inlet. The cylindrical por-# tion of housing 4a is provided with a pair of outlet openings 33 and 34 which communicate with channels 35 and 38, respectively. A dust separator i1 is connected in the usual manner to channel 35. The outer end of channel 36, as shown in Fig. 8, is in communication with a hose connection nipple 3'! and also communicates with inlet opening 32 formed in the front wall of housing l4a. Rotatably mounted within housing |4a is a ported or valve-like member 33 which may be rotated relative to member I 4a by means of a knurled knob 33 or the like mounted on a member 33a which extends through the front wall of the housing and is fixed to member 38. The form of member 38 is shown in Figs. 9 and 10 and it comprises a flat circular disc 40 and a cylindrical rim 4|; which disc and rim form a substantially air-tight joint with the interior of housing |4a. Disc 43 is provided with an opening 42 and rim 4| is provided with two openings 43 and 44 suitably displaced with respect to each other and to opening 42. Opening 44 is considerably larger than opening 43.

Secured to the front of housing |4a is a per- 10 manently attached cleaning implement or nozble 45, the passage through which communicates with inlet opening 3| formed in member l4a.

,Nozzle 45 may be formed integral with housing Ma. The vacuum cleaner unit is carried on a 15 frame-work 48 providedwith casters 4! which support the cleaner so that nozzle 45 is adjacent to the surface to be cleaned. The cleaner may be moved over this surface by means of a handle 43.

vention is as follows:

If it is desired to employ nozzle 45 for cleaning a surface over which the cleaner may be 20 The operation of this embodiment of my inmoved, as a carpet, member 38 is placed in the 25 position shown in Fig. 7. In thisposition opening 42 in the disc portion 40 of member 38 registers with inlet opening 3| formed in the front wall of housing l4a. Opening 44 in the rim portion 4| of the member 38 registers with outlet opening 33 formed in the cylindrical portion of the housing. Inlet openings 30 and 32 in the front of the housing and outlet opening 34 in the cylindrical portion thereof are closed. Upon rotation of fan l0 air will be drawn in through opening 3|, which air will be supplied through nozzle 45 and will carry with it dust and dirt from the surface to be cleaned. This air and dirt will be exhausted by the fan through open- -ing 33 and will pass through dust outlet 35 into dust separator I'I. When the cleaner is used in this manner, flexible hose 20 is preferably not attached to hose connection 31 inasmuch as it would interfere with the movement of the cleaner.

If it is desired to use the cleaner to clean furniture, curtains or the like over which it is not convenient to run the whole cleaner, the hose 20 may be connected to hose connection 31 and provided with a suitable cleaning implement such as the nozzle 2| shown in Fig. 1. In order to cause the flow of air from the nozzle to the cleaner, valve member 38 is placed in the position shown in Fig. 11. In this position opening 42 in disc portion 40 of valve member 38 registers with inlet opening 32 formed in the front of housing |4a. Opening 43 in the rim portion 4| of the valve member registers with outlet opening 33 formed in the cylindrical portion of the housing l4a. Inlet openings 38 and 3| in the front of the housing and outlet opening 34 in the cylindrical portion thereof are closed. Therefore, upon rotation of fan Ill, air will be drawn in through nipple 31 and opening 32.

Fig. 12. In this position, opening 42 in the disc portion 40 of the valve member registers with clean air inlet opening 30 in the front wall of the housing 4a which latter opening communicates with the atmosphere. Opening 44 in the rim portion 4| of the valve member communicates with outlet opening 34 in the cylindrical portion of the housing which opening in turn communicates withchannel 36. Inlet openings 3| and 32 and outlet opening 33 are closed. Upon rotation of fan It, atmospheric air will be drawn in through opening 30 and exhausted by the fan through opening 34 into channel 3' from whence it will pass through hose connection 3! to hose 20. It will be seen that member Ma has a plurality of outlets including the clean air outlet 31 and the dust outlet 35. Furthermore, passage 31 constitutes a dust-laden air inlet as well as a clean air outlet.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a vacuum cleaner which may be used for either blowing or suction and which may be changed from one to the other by very simple means and without disconnecting the hose or the dust separator.

While I have described and illustrated two more or less specific embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that further embodiments which will be apparent to one skilled in the art fall within its scope, which is to be limited only by the appended claims viewed in the light of the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing, a tan in said housing, said housing being formed with a plurality of inlet openings and a plurality of outlet openings, a nozzle secured to said casing and adapted for communication with one of said inlet openings, a hose connection member secured to said casing and adapted for communication with another of said inlet openings and with one of said outlet openings, a dust separator secured to said casingand adapted for communication with another of said outlet openings, a movable ported member within said housing and means for moving said ported member to selectively connect: (1) said nozzle with one of said inlet openings and said dust separator with one of said outlet openings; (2) said hose connection with one of said inlet openings and said dust separator with one of said outlet openings; and (3) said hose connection with one of said outlet openings and one of said inlet openings with the atmosphere.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing having a plurality of inlet openings and a plurality of outlet openings, a fan in said housing, a plurality of cleaning implements adapted for communication with certain of said openings, a dust separator secured to said casing and adapted for communication with one of said outlet openings and valve means for connecting one oisaid implements to one of said inlet openings and said dust separator to said one of said outlet openings and closing the remainder of said inlet and outlet openings, said means being alterable to connect another of said implements with another of said inlet openings and said dust separator to said one of said outlet openings and to close the remaining inlet and outlet openings and said means being further alterable to connect one of said implements with another of said outlet openings and one of said inlet openings with the atmosphere and to close-the remaining inlet and outlet openings.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing having a plurality of inlet openings and a plurality of .outlet openings, a fan in said housing, a plurality of cleaning implements adapted for communication with certain of said openings, a dust separator secured to said casing and adapted for communication with one of said outlet openings and means comprising a single movable member for connecting one of said implements to one of said inlet openings and said dust separator to said one of said outlet open- 5 ings and closing the remainder of said inlet and outlet openings, said means being alterable to connect another of said implements with another of said inlet openings and said dust separator to said one of said outlet openings and to close the remaining inlet and outlet openings and said means being further alterable to connect one of said implements with another of said outlet openings and one of said inlet openings with the atmosphere and to close the remaining inlet and outlet openings.

4. A vacuum cleaner comprising a cylindrical member having a peripheral portion and a transverse base portion, the base portion having three openings therethrough and the peripheral v portion having two openings therethrough, a fan in said member, a nozzle communicating with the first of said openings in the base, a hose connection member communicating with the second of said openings in the base, the third opening in the base communicating with the atmosphere, a dust separating member communicating with the first of said openings in the periphery, a conduit communicating with the second opening-in the periphery and with said hose connection member, and a cylindrical valve member rotatably mounted in the first mentioned member and comprising a peripheral portion and a transverse base portion, said base portion having one opening therethrough and said peripheral portion having two openings therethrough, the spaced relationship oi. the openings in said first mentioned member and in said valve member being such that when the opening in the base of said valve member registers with said first opening in the base of said first mentioned member one of the openings in the periphery of said valve member registers with said first opening in the periphery oi. said first mentioned member, and when the opening in the base of said valve member registers with the second opening in the base of said first men'- tioned member the other one of the openings in the periphery of said valve member registers with said first opening in the periphery of said first mentioned member, and when the opening in the base of said valve member registers with said third opening in the base of said first mentioned member said first one of the openings in the periphery of said valve member registers with said second opening in the periphery of said first mentioned member. I

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a fan housing, a fan in said housing for producing a fiow or air, a first connection for a cleaning'implement, a second connection for another cleaning implement, a dust separating member, a third connection to the atmosphere, and means including a single member movable to a first position for establishing communication from said first connection through said housing to said dust separating member, said single member being movable to a second position for establishing communication from said second connection through said housing to said dust separating member, and said single member being movable to a third position for establishing communication from said third connection through said housing to said second connection."

6. In a vacuum cleaner, a fan housing, a fan 76 atmosphere, and means including a single member movable to a first position for establishing communication from said nozzle through said housing to said dust separating member, said single member being movable to a second position for establishing communication from said hose connection member through said housing to said dust separating member, and said single member being moveable to a third position for establishing communication from said connec-- tion to the atmosphere through said housing to said hose connection member.

7. In a vacuum cleaner, a fan, a housing around said fan having three inlet openings and two outlet openings, a first connection for a cleaning implement connected to the first inlet opening, a dust separating member connected to the first outlet opening, a second connection for another cleaning implement connected to the second inlet opening and to the second outlet opening, the third inlet opening being in communication with the atmosphere, and a ported member associated with said housing and being movable to a first position to open said first inlet opening and said first outlet opening and to close the remaining openings, said member being movable to a second position to open said second inlet opening and said first outlet opening and to close the remaining openings, and said member being movable to a third position to open said third inlet opening and said second outlet opening and to close the remaining openings.

8. In a vacuum cleaner, a fan, a housing around said fan having three inlet openings and two outlet openings, a suction nozzle connected to the first inlet opening, a dust separating member connected to the first outlet opening, a hose connection member'connected to thesec- 0nd inlet opening and to the second outlet opening, the third inlet opening being in communication with the atmosphere, and a ported member associated with said housing and being movable to a first position to open said first inlet opening and said first outlet opening and to close the remaining openings, said ported member being movable toasecond position to open said second inlet opening and said first outlet opening and to close the remaining openings,

and said ported member being movable to a third position to open said third inlet opening and said second outlet opening and to close the remaining openings.

9. A vacuum cleaner including a first member 1 formed with a clean air outlet port, said member having a cylindrical wall formed with a dust-ladened air outlet port and a radial'wall formed with an air inlet port, a second member rotatably mounted with respect to said first 11 member and having a radially extending portion in contact with said radial wall and an axially extending portion in contact with said cylindrical wall, said radially extending portion being formed with a combination dust-ladened 15 air inlet and clean air outlet passage adapted to communicate with either said clean air outlet port or with said inlet port, said axially extending portion being formed with a dustladened air outlet passage adapted to commu- 2o nicate with said dust-ladened air outlet port when said combination passage communicates with said air inlet port, a dust separator connected to said dust-ladened air outlet passage to receive dust discharged therethrough, and 25 means to produce flow of air through said members.

10. A vacuum cleaner including a first member formed with a clean air outlet port, said member having a cylindrical wall formed with a 30 dust-ladened air outlet port and a radial wall formed with an air inlet port, a second member rotatably mounted with respect to said first member and having a radially extending portion in contact with said radial wall and an axially 35 extending portion in contact with said cylindrical wall, said radially extending portion being formed with a combination dust-ladened air inlet and clean air outlet passage adapted to communicate with either said clean air outlet 40 port or with said inlet port, said axially extending portion being formed with a dust-ladened air outlet passage adapted to communicate with said dust-ladened air outlet port when said combination passage communicates with said air 45 inlet port, a dust separator connected to said dust-ladened air outlet passage to receive dust discharged therethrough, and a centrifugal fan for producing flow of air through said members, said members forming a housing for said 50 fan.

ANDERS ERIKSSON-JONS. 

